Drawer and file locking device



1958 H. E. HUTZELMAN 2,860,025

DRAWER AND FILE LOCKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 31, 1956 INVENTOR. fiozzlarz/iwzlzke/mm %%N4/7% I1 7 T0 enzy- Nov. 11, 1958 H. E. HUTZELMAN 2,860,025

DRAWER AND FILE LOCKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTOfNgY United States Patent DRAWER AND FILE LOCKING DEVICE Howard E. Hutzelman, Corry, Pa., assignor to Corry- Jamestown Manufacturing Corporation, Corry, Pa., a corporation of New York Application August 31, 1956, Serial No. 607,409

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-221) This invention relates to locking devices and more particularly to such devices as applied to office furniture wherein it is desired to lock the drawers or files of desks or cabinets against unauthorized withdrawal.

Specifically, the invention discloses a locking device that is operable by the closing of a given drawer or file for the purpose of securing or locking other designated drawers or files in closed position. The present structure finds practical application to so-called pedestal desks wherein a central or knee-space drawer is provided with a key controlled lock and it is desired that the closing and locking of the knee-space drawer will automatically lock the drawers of either or both pedestals.

In the past, many different locking devices, of course, have been provided for this purpose, but in the instances with which I am familiar such devices have required the mounting of special brackets or other parts that normally are not needed in the manufacture and assembly of the ordinary pedestal desk. Thus, desks heretofore equipped with drawer locking mechanisms may be found to be somewhat troublesome to manufacture by reason of the extra parts that would not normally be needed in the manufacture and assembly of a pedestal desk not provided with a drawer locking device. The proper orienting of the supporting structure for such locking devices, as well as the manufacture and assembly of the parts of the devices themselves, to

say nothing of the probable added cost and ultimate increased price to the consumer, suggests that these locking devices are not all to be desired and could be improved upon, at least in the manner and to the extent disclosed in the present invention.

It is a purpose and object of the present invention to provide a locking device for one or more drawers or files in a desk or cabinet that is of extremely simple construction and consists of relatively few, easily manufactured and assembled parts.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a locking device that is assembled as a separate unit and may be installed as such when it is desired to equip a desk or cabinet with means disclosed by the invention for securing one or more drawers or files in closed position.

A further object of the invention lies in the provision of a preassembl'ed locking device that is insertable as a unit into a desk or cabinet without the aid of special tools, such installation being readily and easily accomplished at any time during or after completion of the assembly of the desk or cabinet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a two-pedestal desk in which drawer locking devices embodying the present invention may be installed;

in Fig. 1.

desk wherein at least one pedestal includes three drawers that may be controlled by the instant locking device; r

Fig. 3 is a further fragmentary front elevational view of a desk wherein the pedestal drawer arrangement, although different from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may also be controlled by the instant locking device;

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, being taken substantially as suggested by the line 44 of Fig. l, and shows in general the assembled relationship of the locking device with a desk pedestal;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of thelocking devices as mounted on the pedestal secured bracket, being shown substantially in the same general position as disclosed in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken substantially on line 66 of Fig. 4, and shows the locking devices in inoperative position in solid lines. and in operative position in dottedlines;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical view, partly in section, being taken substantially as suggested by the line 77 of Fig. 4, and shows the upper portion of the locking device; and

Fig. 8 is a vertical elevationalview, partly in section, being taken substantially as indicated by the line 88 of Fig. 6. 1 Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 is employed to generally designate a desk of the type to which. the present invention is applicable. The desk 10, as may be seen in Fig. l, is of the two-pedestal type with a knee-space. or center. drawer, the drawers in the, pedestals being of letter and box type. In Fig. 2, a single pedestal 11 is shown Wherein three letter type drawers are provided. In Fig.4, a pedestal 12 is shown'in which box type and letter type drawers are shown in reverse arrangement to that shown The purpose of showing different arrangements of drawers in desk pedestals is solely to demon-. strate the applicability of the present invention to the locking of different sizes and arrangements of pedestal drawers. I

The fragmentary, perspective view (Fig. 4) shows a portion of apedestal 13 that includes the usual inner wall 14, rear wall 16, and bottom wall 17. The usual inturned side and bottom flanges 18 and 19, respectively,

pedestals and the spaces therebetween are enclosed bya desk top 22.

Mountedadjacent the rear end of the inner pedestal wall14 is an upstanding Z-shaped bracket 23, having its short flange 24 welded or otherwise permanently joined tothe pedestal wall. The central flange 26 that extends perpendicular to the pedestal wall is provided with three slots27, the number being relatedto the greatest numbe'r of drawers'it is common to mount in a given pedestal;

' The general contour and arrangement of slots, together with the locking device carried thereby, are clearly shown in Fig. 5. The outermost flange 28 of the bracket 23 provides a surface to which a drawer carrying channel 29 may be attached at its innermost end. For purposes of description, it may be assumed that the pedestal13.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of B.

will contain an upper letter type drawer and a lower box typedrawer, much as shown in Fig. 1. For this reason, the small channel 29 is shown to be uppermost and a.

larger channel 31, in the lower portion of the pedestal.

zgsepas Thelocking'mechanism embodying the invention conmaybe projectedint-o the openings 27 ofthe-bracket12 3 and serve to vertically support the bar and permit hori= iontal-swinging movement thereof; In; other words, they cooperate with the bracket to provide'the equivalent of separable hinge supports. Attached to the bar 32, at predetermined points, are locking books 34 As may be observed in Figs; and 6', each of these hooks includes a flat attaching portion 35. and an inclined portion 36 that terminates in a short flange 37. The hooks extend beyond the bar 32' to an extent such that'when the bar is swung through a horizontal plane about the hooks 33, the locking hooks 34'will have predeterminedlateral travel. Attached to and extending upwardly from the upper end of the bar 32 is an arm 38. This arm, as may be seen in Figs. 4 and 5, has ahorizontal flange 39 that extends over the upper edge" of the pedestal inner Wall 14 and thence downwardly, as at 41, and terminates in a laterally offset; vertical flange 42. The flange 42 is in the path of a lug 43 that constitutes an extension of the nearer the center drawer 21. Thus, movement of the drawer 21- from the position of Fig. 4 to a com letely closed position, will cause lug 43 to en age flange 42 and swing the bar 32 about its pivot-like hooks, and this, of course, will cause lateral movement of the bars locking hooks. In order that the locking bar and the locking hooks carried thereby will normally occu y an inoperaave; position, a restoring spring 44 is rovided; One end ofthis spring is secured to the bar 32 and theother end contacts the. inner face of the pedestal wall 14. In this manner, the bar and locking hooks are normally yield- .ii'iglv held in the nosi'tionshown in full lines of Fig. 6.

The drawers, intended to be located in the pedestal and carried by the pedestal channels 29 and 31, are provided with mounting strips 46 that extend rearwardly beyond the back of the drawer. Each of these strips mounts a keeper or locking lug 47 that has a laterally opening notch, substantially as shown in Fig. 6. Thekeeper 47 of each drawer isin the horizontal plane of the: locking hooks 34 and, as will be more fully brought out, engagement of these parts serves to prevent with drawalof a drawer. I V

Although the present locking mechanism is of extremely simple construction and, therefore, easily and inexpensive- 1y manufactured, it may occurthat a pedestal desk may be manufactured and sold without the advantage of being able to lock all of the drawers closed andthat thev owner. of a desk may subsequently wish to avail himself of the safety of being able to lock the drawers closed. To this end, the present invention is so designed that the arm. 38. may be inserted betweenthe. desk top 22 and the upper edge, of the inner pedestal wall 14. The locking bar. may, of course, be easily mounted by engaging the hooks 33. thereof with the slots 27. Following this, the long en'dpf the arm may be secured to the upper end of the bar:3,2 in any, suitable manner, as by the screws 48 shown. The horizontal. flange 39 of the arm is 'sufliciently close tothe desktop, 22 that the bar 32 may not become disengaged from the bracket 23. Since there are no extra fittings, brackets, orother parts required other than the initial pr-ovision of the brackets 23 and slots 27, it is evident that the present, locking mechanism may be installed or removed at any time and with the aid of nothing more than a screw driver'by way of a tool.

lug. 43 has caused the locking bar to pivot about its sup; porting hooks 33, thus swinging the locking hooks into the path of the drawer carried keepers 47. If, as shown in Fig. 6, one or more of the pedestal drawers are in closed position, the keeper 47 will be engaged by the locking hook flange 37. It will be noted that in this position the locking hook rests against the flange 28 of the bracket- 23 and is thereby held rigid against any attempt to withdraw the drawer by endeavoring to buckle the locking hook through the application of force. The

center drawer may, of course,.be in fullyclosed positionv although one or more of the pedestal drawers are in partially opened position. The mere act of'fully closing a pedestal drawer causes therear edge ofa keeper 47 to strike the inclined portion 36 of the locking hook 34, flexing this portion of the hook to an extent to permit passage of the keeper. When the end of the locking hook registers with the notch in the keeper, the normal resiliency of the hookwill cause it toengage'the notch and prevent withdrawal of the drawer.

The lockingba-r, as disclosed, is equipped with three locking hooks 34 and these hooks areso locatedthat they will lock three letter type drawers such, for ex-- ample, as shown in Fig. 2. However, should a letter and box type drawer be mounted in'the pedestal in the relationship shown in Fig. 1', only the top and bottommost locking hooks 34 would be effective, the intermediate locking hook being entirely clear of the drawer side or the drawer supporting channels. On, the otherhand, should the box type drawer be uppermost and a letter type drawer lowermost, as shown in'Fig: 3; there would be no channel similar to channel 29 and the uppermost locking hook would not function.

From the foregoing it is evident that the present invention provides simple, efiicient, and practical means for locking a variety of types of drawers in a desk pedestal or cabinet, and. it will be appreciated that variations of the specifically shown and described structure may be made without in' any way departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set out in the annexed claims.

Havingthus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent 1. A locking mechanism for securing the drawers of a desk pedestal in closed position by the closing of a drawer adjacent said pedestal, said mechanism comprising a vertically disposed bar, a bracket secured to the inner wall of said pedestal having a number of vertical slots, books on one edge of said bar engageable with said slots and providing for horizontal swinging of said bar, locking hooks extending from said bar edge. strips mounting said drawers for movement out of and into said pedestal, means carried by said strips located in a plane to be engaged by said locking hooks when said bar is swung into a given position, means yieldingly urging said bar into another position, and means forming a continuation of said bar located in the path of travel ofsaid adjacent drawer, said last mentioned means i a desk pedestal in closed position by the closing of a From the' foregoing description of the locking mechanism,it will be apparent that as long as the central drawer 21 rain, slightly opened position (Fig. 4) the rear lug 43 thereof will not contact flange 42 of arm 38 and the drawer adjacent said pedestal, said mechanism comprising'a vertically disposed bar, a bracket secured to the inner wall of said' pedestal'having a number of vertical slots, hooks on one edge of said bar eng'ageable with said slots and providing for horizontal swinging 'ofsaidbar, locking hooks extending from said bar edge,

strips mounting said drawers for movement out of and into said pedestal, keepers on the rearwardly extending ends of said strips, said kee'pers being engageable with pivotal locking bar win therefore occupy the position shown in Fig. 6 by reason of the spring 44. It is readily. ap reciated that when drawer 21' is completely closed,

said locking hooks in a given position of .said-bary-a spring on said bar normally urging said bar into another position, an armextending fromsaid 'barbeyondthe confines of said pedestal, said arm being in the path of travel of said adjacent drawer and operable, upon the closing of said adjacent drawer, to swing said bar and cause said locking hooks to occupy a position to be engaged by said keepers when any of the drawers of said pedestal are moved into closed position.

3. In combination with a desk having a pedestal enclosing a plurality of drawers and a further drawer disposed adjacent thereto, a vertically disposed bracket secured to the inner wall of said pedestal having a number of vertical slots, a locking mechanism for securing the drawers of said pedestal in closed position by the closing of said further drawer, said mechanism comprising a vertically positioned bar adjacent said bracket, downwardly directed hooks on one edge of said bar, said hooks projecting through said slots and securing and supporting said bar for horizontal swinging movement with respect to said bracket, locking hooks extending from said bar edge, keepers on the rear ends of said pedestal drawers located to be engaged by said locking hooks when said bar is swung into a given position, and means carried by said bar located in the path of travel of said further drawer, said meangs being operable to swing said bar about its hook support to enable engagement of said locking books with said keepers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,036,442 Bullock Aug. 20, 1912 1,909,848 Rand May 16, 1933 2,180,630 Hearn Nov. 21, 1939 2,498,271 Hearn Feb. 21, 1950 

